This technical state-of-the-art book is devoted to the development and design of advanced melting technologies with submerged combustion. The objective is to compile and summarise findings and experiences of scientists and engineers from various research organisations and companies in this ew area worldwide. The main advantages of submerged combustion, i.e. the combustion of gas-air or gas-air-oxygen mixtures directly inside a melt, are to achieve the maximum heat transfer from combustion products to the melt, to improve mixing, i.e. melt homogeneity, and to increase the rate of chemical reactions. Based on these advantages of submerged combustion, advanced melting technologies were developed and tested in various industries. The book consists of 10 chapters covering the development, design, testing and industrial application of various advanced melting technologies with Submerged Combustion Melters (SCMs) for production of materials for the building industry from metallurgical slag; coal slag and ash from coal-fired thermal-power plants; fuming of slags of non-ferrous metals: melting silicate materials; production of mineral wool; production of molten defluorinated phosphates for agriculture; pyrohydrolysis of fluorine-containing wastes; vitrification of high level radioactive wastes; and production of expanded-clay aggregate for lightweight concrete from non-selfbloating clays. Chapter 10 is related to Immersion Tube Heaters (ITHs), which are used for melting purposes or heating/evaporating of various liquids. Eight appendices contain additional material related to submerged combustion: theoretical investigation into the effect of melt turbulization on discrete particle dissolution rate; SCMs heat losses through water-cooled walls; heat transfer enhancement in glass melting furnaces; safety features for an SCMs cooling system: SCM feeders and melt-draining locking devices; thermodynamic analysis of combined thermal and environmental efficiency of fuel utilisation; other submerged-combustion apparatuses; mathematical and CFD modeling of thermal processes in radiant tubes with natural gas combustion; and unit conversion and tables of properties. Many of the developed melting technologies are intended to decrease harmful effects of various wastes such as slags, ash etc on the environment by effectively reprocessing them into materials for the building industry or by safe infinite disposal of high-level radioactive wastes by including them into a glass matrix.
